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• Double-digit million euro investment to provide social networking and decision support for precision farming
• Existing IT infrastructure and tools for growers to be significantly scaled up and further integrated

This double-digit million euro investment will drive the development of unique, integrated IT tools that will support growers to make agronomic decisions, manage their business operations and better connect to the global agricultural community. The company plans to launch first integrated tools in key agricultural markets around the world by the end of 2014 with additional markets and tools to follow.

“The business of farming is increasingly complex and, at the same time, so interlinked that growers need more and more sophisticated technology to make precise, efficient decisions,” said Markus Heldt, President of BASF’s Crop Protection division. “This is a global strategic area for us, and we know that such services and initiatives make the difference for our customers.”

With this investment, BASF will expand its open innovation approach by offering dynamic social networking capabilities for growers, researchers and agricultural professionals. BASF will also launch new tools for field scouting and field documentation to support on-farm decision-making and reporting.

“This initiative is both exciting and challenging, and it gives us an opportunity to build on our existing agricultural data across a global platform,” said Robert Blackburn, President BASF Information Services and Supply Chain Operations. “We are not starting from scratch and already have an experienced team in place to leverage cutting-edge processes, tools and infrastructure.”

As part of this investment, BASF is establishing strategic partnerships with agricultural service and data providers, with particular focus areas in data management, predictive analytics and information processing.

About BASF’s Crop Protection division

With sales of around €4.7 billion in 2012, BASF’s Crop Protection division provides innovative solutions in crop protection, turf and ornamental plants, pest control and public health. Its portfolio also includes technologies for seed treatment and biological control as well as solutions to manage water, nutrients and plant stress. BASF’s Crop Protection division is a leading innovator that supports growers to optimize agricultural production, improve their business efficiency and enhance the quality of life for a growing world population. Further information can be found on the web at agro.basf.com or follow us on our social media channels.

About BASF

BASF (basf.com) is the world’s leading chemical company: The Chemical Company. Its portfolio ranges from chemicals, plastics, performance products and crop protection products to oil and gas. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. Through science and innovation, we enable our customers in nearly every industry to meet the current and future needs of society. Our products and solutions contribute to conserving resources, ensuring nutrition and improving quality of life. We have summed up this contribution in our corporate purpose: We create chemistry for a sustainable future. BASF had sales of €72.1 billion in 2012 and more than 110,000 employees as of the end of the year. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchanges in Frankfurt (BAS), London (BFA) and Zurich (AN).

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